Hi, I'm Ranger Ride
by girlreadsalot
Summary: Summary will be the first chapter. I sound like a buttface when I say I need at least one review for each chapter. AND Just to get this of my chest I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT OR MAXIMUM RIDE! Insert frownie face here *
1. Chapter 1

My name? Well, that's simple. It's Ranger Ride. I'm the daughter of Maximum Ride and Fang. My best friends? That's an easy one too, their names are Jasmine and River Griffiths. They're twins. Unfortunately for me my life isn't as simple as my name and my friends. Luckily for you sad saps it makes a nice story. Well, here goes nothing I guess…


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry about the review thing. I was going to give you one or two chapters but, I didn't have time before the horse show. The first chapter was a summary. You didn't have to review about that. But I have good news my good friend Lord Funknuts is here to help me introduce the story, because Marticus couldn't make it. **

**Lord Funknuts: Here is the first chapter of Hi, I'm Ranger Ride, Blah Blah Blah. On with the story**_**.**_

"Miss Ride, will you please hand me your cell phone." Mr. C said holding his hand out.

I looked up through the dark curtain of hair I inherited from my father and glared at him through my mother's brown eyes. "No." I said grinning cockily. Another trait from my mother, the ability to be smart but the ability to resist authority belonged to my mother and my father and hell, my whole family. I felt the whole class turn and look at me, "You _asked_ me if I'd hand my phone over. If you ask me I won't."

Mr. C sighed and held out his hand once again, "Hand your phone over Ranger." He said in a more stern voice his gold eyes irritated.

I shrugged, pulled my phone out of my pocket and licked it all over, "Here ya go!" I said sounding cheerful.

Mr. C rolled his eyes and took it from me and walked to his desk and set my phone on it and continued on with the lesson after he told me to stop by after class.

I felt my cousin's eyes on me. My eyes flicked to Jasmine and River, they were my Uncle Iggy and Aunt Ella's twins. They had inherited Ella's curly dark hair but Iggy's blue eyes.

I smirked at them and crossed my arms over my chest stubbornly and half-listened to the History lesson. I had to admit Mr. C was an awesome History teacher. It was like he was there during the Holocaust. The bell rang and River glanced at me and then to his sister and ushered her out the door.

"Miss Ride why do you insist on being stubborn?" He asked pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You are an asshole." I said rising from my desk and collecting my books, "Is that all?" I asked.

Mr. C handed me my phone and said, "Don't let me see it again or you will not get it back."

I smirked, if he took it away from me I certainly would get it back. He may not know when, but I would eventually.

"Ranger." He was obviously looking for some sort of response.

"Yes sir!" I said loudly and saluted him. I stuffed my phone in my pocket and walked calmly out of the room.

Bridon Teneth was at his locker outside of the classroom, "Ah, in trouble again?" he asked not looking at me.

I just glared at him.

"You are one total smartass." He said slamming his locker shut, "It's a wonder that those faggots hang out with you."

"I'd rather be a smartass rather than a dumbass and Jasmine and River are my cousins and my best friends. So go to Hell asshole." With that I left to meet the twins hopefully leaving Bridon looking at me with his mouth open like a gaping fish.

**Well? What did you think? That's only one chapter out of many. And hopefully Marticus can join us for the next chapter. And please be kind and review. Friendly or no Marticus will make your heads implode if you don't…then the pieces explode.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Marticus: Don't worry my people The Mighty Marticus has arrived. **

**Me: I'm here too! I wanna be your sidekick.**

**Marticus: But you don't matter, it's all me. I command that you read the story and like it!**

River and Jasmine were waiting for me in the hallway, "So, Ranger, how are we getting home?" River asked tossing his bangs out of his eyes.

"Via air or via dirtbike?" Jasmine asked in her soft voice.

I sighed, "Guys, obviously via dirtbike. I wouldn't leave my bike here if the world depended on it."

We walked up to the football field and to the announcer's booth to where our bikes were parked. I drug my blue Honda out from under it and set it on its wheels. Jasmine handed me my helmet and said, "You are the biggest smartass I've ever met."

"Yeah, well you're the only person I know that can blow up chewing gum." I said taking it from her.

"Hey, Uncle Gaz helped and it wasn't chewing gum. It was bubble gum." She said.

"What's the difference?"

"The chemicals." She and River said at the same time.

"And you," I said turning to River, "I think you're gay."

River's expression was confused, "Why would you think that?" He asked offended.

"You make the best damn chocolate chip cookies I've ever eaten."

"So, your mom can't cook." He retorted.

"Yeah and neither can my dad." I said honestly, "Not to mention you dated a man."

"Terry was not a man!" He said picking his bike up and setting it on its wheels.

"She had facial hair." I felt obligated to point out, "She also probably had chest hair."

"It was only for a day! Terry is a versatile name, I thought she – I mean he was a she. I'm sorry that dude looked like a lady!" He said offensively. He then put his helmet on and started his bike.

Jasmine and I followed suit.

We got home and I parked my bike in our family's multiple car garage and pulled off my helmet. We thudded up the wooden stairs and into the house, "We're home!" The three of us called at the same time.

I took of my leather jacket and threw it on the couch which was soon followed by my magenta and black striped hoodie. I rolled my shoulders and let my brown and black wings extend gently behind me. It felt good. It felt like when you link your fingers and stretch your arms above my head.

I walked into the kitchen to scrounge up food, "Jazz, your mom's a saint." I said swiping an absurd amount of cookies off of the plate on the bar.

Jasmine smiled and grabbed the whole plate.

"Yes, cookies! To the x-box 360 awaaayyy!" River cried and began running to the game room.

I rolled my eyes and bit into my cookie and followed Jasmine down to the rec room.

The rec room was a room with the walls painted orange and red, it was equipped with those kickass chairs that are shaped kind of like a "U" so you can roll back, beanbag chairs, an abnormally large flatscreen television, a killer sound system and multiple game systems.

"Ranger you better watch your mouth!" A guy with a tacky southern drawl threatened over the x-box.

"What are you going to do? Hunt me down? Hunt down my family? Oh man, I'm really terrified now." I said sarcastically rolling my eyes.

I grinned as the guy sputtered angrily over the earpiece.

The screen read, _**Gazbomb 623 has signed in.**_

"Uncle Gazzy!" the three of us cheered loudly.

"Let's do this!" Gazzy rallied.

Many kills later my mom burst through the rec room door, "Ranger, you're in trouble!" She yelled.

**Marticus: You do realize not-as-great-as-me Girlreadsalot that that is sort of a cliff hanger.**

**Me- I do. There's a button down below. It says "Review or there is potential implodeation." **


	4. Chapter 4

**Marticus is off saving the world and what not so I brought out Darla. My bear and alligator-wrestling personality. **

**Darla: You know as well as I do that Marticus is at Anger Management…again. **

**Me: Let's not go into detail. Let's just introduce the story.**

**Darla: [smacks me] **

**Me: Ow!**

**Darla: Don't tell me what to do! Read the story.**

"Oops, this may not be a good time but, tell her I said hello." Uncle Gazzy said before I logged off.

I pulled my self off of my comfy throne and followed my mother up the orange steps that led into the rest of the house. Mom stopped me in the hallway, "Ranger this has to stop."

I didn't bother looking innocent. I just stared at her.

"Your History teacher has asked for a personal conference. At our dinner table."

I lost it, "What? He's coming over here? You can't let him come in here! This is our house! If he wouldn't have been nosy-,"

** "**If you wouldn't have been texting in class we wouldn't have to take these measures! Your science teacher, then your math teacher, English, and then Art. Ranger," She shook her head at me, "when is this going to stop?"

"Uncle Gazzy said hi."

"Go to your room and don't come out until dinner." She said.

I then did something I rarely do, I kept my mouth shut. I just looked into her brown eyes that were surrounded by a halo of her blonde-brown hair. Without a word I walked up two floors to my room.

Why did my life have to be so heinous? Sure, I'm definitely not normal and neither is my family. My mom still snarls and is the queen of sarcastic land and my dad's still the silent reasonable one.

I shrugged and flopped onto my black bed sheets to catch a few winks. My father called up the stairs, "Ranger your teacher's here."

I stood up and stretched groggily and walked down the stairs calmly, "You called?" I asked eyebrows raised in question.

"Yes Ranger, we did." My dad said looking at me crossly. His dark hair flopped over his eyes. I could feel him looking at me through his bangs.

"Well?"

"We want you to apologize to Mister Cullen." My dad said.

"For what?"

"Calling him and asshole."

I turned to the bronze-haired teacher sitting at our dining room table, "I'm sorry you're an asshole."

"Ranger!" My mom frowned.

"What?"

My mom's strong hand gripped my shoulder hard saying, _do it right or I'll kill you._ Yeah, even after fifteen years my mom still has her attitude, "I'm sorry I called you an asshole." I muttered.

Mr. C smiled, "Apology accepted."

The phone rang, "I'll get it! I'll get!" My Uncle Iggy called running upstairs.

My dad rolled his eyes and offered my history teacher a cookie. He kindly declined. My mom came back into the room slowly her face the palest I had ever seen it before.

My dad rushed over to her and cupped her face in his hands, "What is it Max?"

"Apparently, we have an unfinished mission. We have to do it immediately."

**Darla: Another Cliffy? I oughta smack you like I smacked that bear that stole my flip flop. **

**Me: Please don't!**

**Darla: Just tell them to review.**

**Me: Review! Please before she kills me!**


	5. Chapter 5

**My special guest today is…Faye! Don't clap, the noise scares her. Come out Faye. **

**Faye: No! The internet is evil.**

**Me: ?**

**Faye: I can't stand people who look at my words!**

**Me: You can't stand Clowns, the dark, puppies, toilets, Dilbert's glasses, Darla, space food, I could go on.**

**Faye: Don't! I'll just introduce the story, here!**

"Who?" My dad asked.

"All of us. I need to call Angel Nudge and Gasman to get them here as fast as possible." My mom tried to rush out of the room but my dad grabbed her wrist.

"What about the kids? They can't be trusted here by themselves, Jazz will blow the place up."

"What about Ella?"

Iggy shook his head, "She's at a CSM conference in Miami."

"Shit." My mom cussed.

"Excuse me Mr. and Mrs. Ride and Mr. Griffiths, but my family and I could watch them." Mr. C suggested.

I slapped my forehead with my hand, "No. No. No. No no no. No!"

"Ranger, we have to deal with what we have. We honestly can't trust you here by yourselves. You'll end up killing River and Jasmine will blow the place up." My mom said.

Two days later Nudge, Angel and the Gasman were knocking at the front door. Angel had changed from the childhood photographs that my mother showed me. Her hair was no longer in long curls but straightened and almost to her waist. She was tall and slender with bright eyes and a blinding smile. Not to mention a freshman in college.

Nudge's hair was shoulder length and it was still frizzy and out of control. She was taller than Angel but not as tall as Gazzy she was a senior in college.

Gazzy's hair was cut short and spiked in the front. He was almost as tall as Fang but nowhere near as tall as Iggy, and he was a sophomore in college because he wanted to backpack through Europe after high school.

We saw our parents off and sat to wait for Mr. C and his family.

EDWARD:

"Edward, how could you do this to me?" Alice demanded dragging her large rolling suitcase behind her, "This thing is not nearly big enough to fit all of my essentials."

"How?" Emmett asked throwing his duffel bag into the back of the jeep, "Two or maybe three of you could fit in that bag."

"Because, how is this bag going to fit all of my clothes? I can't wear the same shirt twice! That's a crime!"

"Alice, it's just a visit. If it takes longer than intended we will come back for more of your clothes." I said logically.

My daughter bounded out of her house with Jacob and Bella in tow, "Let's go! We're gonna have a sleepover!"

RANGER:

I attempted to make a batch of cookies like River had taught me but, I set the smoke alarms off. "Damn! Ouch!" I coughed as I threw the charcoaled cookie sheet into the sink.

River entered the kitchen wearing skinny jeans and a grey hoodie, "What did you do to them?" He demanded, "You killed them."

"My fault cookie lover, bake your own."

River reached over to the closet and pulled out his _Kiss the Cook_ apron and tied it on, "Fine I will."

"You're such a feminist." I said rolling my eyes and walking out of the kitchen to the living room.

"I am not! Terry may have been a guy but Leslie was one hundred percent woman!" He hollered after me.

I chuckled and started heading up the stairs when Jasmine bounded down and stopped right before running into me, "They're here!" She gasped panting, "In a big jeep."

**Faye: Jeeps scare me. **

**Me: The yellow line on the road scares you.**

**Faye: I wouldn't know. I've never been outside. **

**Me: Tell them to hit the button. **

**Faye: No! Buttons are evil!**

**Me:*Sigh***


	6. Chapter 6

**Today I drug Dilbert out from in front of his computer so he can introduce the story. **

**Dilbert: Vampires are purely fictional characters. Along with the flock and Ranger Ride. **

**Me: You have the nerve to say those things and you're a personality made up in my imagination?**

**Dilbert: Unfortunately, you are to dumb to bring me out during Algebra. **

**Me: Shut up. **

**Dilbert: girlreadsalot does not own Twilight or Maximum Ride and she still has the restraining order on her. Just a reminder. Read the story.**

"Where were you?" I asked her.

"On...the…roof."

I shrugged and reached into the kitchen and grabbed River by his collar and began dragging him into the living room. He hung his apron in the closet and stood beside his sister while we waited for the door to open.

The first one to enter was Mrs. C. She was the librarian at our school. She had a little girl holding her hands.

A big burly man with short brown hair followed her. He honestly intimidated me which was saying something because I'm not scared of anyone.

The next to enter was Mr. C himself.

He was followed by a dark-skinned man with short hair. He was like seven feet tall.

Followed by a woman with short spiky black hair lugging a huge suitcase behind her.

"We're three kids. You didn't need to call in the army." I said.

"Sorry, these are my relatives. You've met my wife Bella and this is our daughter Renesemee, this is my brother Emmett," He said gesturing to the intimidating guy, "my sister Alice and Rensemee's cousin Jacob."

"This is River, Jasmine and I'm Ranger." I said crossing my arms and staring the posse down. This was my house. My turf and if you want to mess with a bear in it's den be my guest.

Nobody said anything except for Jacob, he was laughing, "Ranger? Your name is Ranger? Like a…park…ranger." He said doubling over and clutching his sides.

I frowned completely irritated and silently declared war. "Yes like a park ranger." I said stiffly before I turned on my heel and headed for the rec room leaving them guessing.

After we got to the rec room Jasmine turned to me, "What are we going to do?"

"Is there away you can make bombs that shoot paint?"

Jasmine thought for a while and slowly nodded her blue eyes sparkling, "I could put that Jacob kid in the guestroom based around sports. Then, I could make all of the balls in the spray paint at the bed." She winced, "It will ruin the sheets though."

"That's just a chance I'm willing to take. River," I said turning to her twin, "what about a laxative in the cookies?"

River grinned manically, "Will do boss."

"Good. And don't call me boss again. It's creepy."

"Right this way Jacob, you look tired." I said innocently dragging him towards the sporty guest room.

"Jacob yawned and stretched, "Yeah, it's been a long few nights." He admitted.

"Well you can stay here for as long as you want." I said shutting the door behind me.

I made a speedy exit to the attic where River and Jasmine were waiting with a nanny-cam monitor. I shut and locked the door and trotted lightly up the stairs, where I sat on Iggy and Ella's bed next to the twins.

We were smothering giggles as Jacob examined the room and flopped onto the bed putting his arms behind his head and crossing his ankles, "I could live with this." He said picking up a few laxative cookies and stuffing them in his mouth whole.

We watched as he finished the plate and started closing his eyes before we hit the button that would trigger the paint spray. I hit the button and paint immediately began to spout at the bed covering Jacob in various colors, "What the-," He jumped up before he got a face full of blue paint.

We couldn't help but laugh so hard our stomachs hurt. We inoffensively meandered down the stairs just in time to see Jacob wander out covered in paint. He clutched his stomach, "Where's the bathroom?" He asked.

"Down the hall and to your left." I said smirking. After he emerged from the bathroom I said, "Don't mess with my name."

**Dilbert: That is quite illogical. **

**Me: What?**

**Dilbert: The paint. **

**Me: Shut up. Or else Darla is going to have her way with you.**

**Dilbert: Review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm back and I have Taj with me.**

**Taj: Hey y'all! **

**Me: Will you do the honor of introducing the chapter?**

**Taj: Sure girl! Oh, is that the story 'bout that girl?**

**Me: Which one?**

**Taj: The one that has wings. I mean if she wore something other than black she'd be way prettier.**

**Me: Story.**

**Taj: [Crosses arms] Read the dang story! See if I care that you don't like my fashion advice!**

BELLA:

After the children went to bed and Jacob was done on the toilet he came into the living room. "Bells, you would not believe what those kids did. They set me up! All because I made fun of Ranger's name."

"Jake!" I exclaimed exasperated, "That's stupid they are just kids. They didn't set you up for anything!"

"You should have seen her face when I made fun of her name, Bella. If you don't believe me come look at the room! It's covered in paint!"

I followed Jacob to the guest room when he pushed open the door nothing looked out of place, "I don't know why you're acting this way Jake. Nessie's here so you don't get suspicious and twitchy."

"Because it's true!" He snapped.

I just rolled my golden eyes and walked away. It's best to leave those situations alone.

RANGER:

I walked into my bedroom to hear high-pitched muttering from my walk-in closet, "No. No. This child has absolutely no fashion sense!" I peered around the corner of my closet to see the little teen, Alice, rummaging through my closet. A pile of my black clothes on the floor in the middle.

"What are you doing?" I asked coming into full view.

"I," she said stomping up onto a tote, "am cleaning."

"I didn't think my closet was dirty." I muttered looking through the heap of clothes at my feet. I pulled out my favorite leather jacket. It had been my father's and now it was mine, "Hey! This is my good leather jacket."

Alice hopped down and threw another stack of clothes in the pile and bustling over to the rack on the other side of the closet to a different rack, "Evidently, it's not. There are long holes in the back."

_That's because we're special._ I thought, "I still am keeping it. It's a keepsake." I watched tiredly as she stuffed all of my clothes into plastic bags and threw them off the balcony into the back of the awaiting jeep.

"Now, I'm going to raid Jasmine's closet." She said brushing her hands together with finality.

River made some sort of pasta for dinner, one of those weird dishes that have some sort of weird name, and while we were in the kitchen Jasmine and Alice walked in talking animatedly. Alice stopped and looked at me, "You could learn a lot from this girl." She said pointing to Jazz, "Your fashion sense could use a boost."

"Would you like some Linguini?" River asked gesturing with a plate heaped with pasta.

"No thank you." Alice said sweetly as she walked out of the room

"Whatever." I muttered as I dug in.

**Taj: That's a short chapter. **

**Me: I think that was a good place to stop. **

**Taj: I think Alice was right about cleaning out Ranger's closet. **

**Me: I think you need to stop. **

**Taj: Fine! I was just sayin'—**

**Me:[Glares]**

**Taj: That y'all need to be nice and review**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm back! And I brought Lynette with me.**

**Lynette: [Applying lipstick] **

**Me: [Shoves Lynette] **

**Lynette: [Smears makeup] Okay that was not cool! **

**Me: This is not a fashion show.**

**Lynette: It is too! Everything I do is a fashion show. Now go off and read the stupid story.**

After dinner I walked upstairs to my room. "It's about time you showed up." A voice said from my bed.

My head jerked around to see Bridon (Yes, the guy I called an ass. Unfortunately for me he was also my secret boyfriend) perched on my bed expectantly. "It's my house." I said trying to keep my cool. Inside I was freaking out. How in the hell did he get in my room?

He chuckled amusedly and heaved himself off the bed, "I suppose it is." He lightly touched my hair, "You called me an asshole the other day. Did you mean it?" He asked his opaque eyes haunting.

"Yes." I caught my mistake and shook my head vigorously and stuttered, "No! I mean-,"

In a moment he was next to me glaring down at me with a handful of my shirt in his hands.

I pried his hands from my shirt and stepped away from him. "Bridon, I don't want to do this anymore. I'm tired of it. Secrets suck and I don't want you and I never have. I won't be a victim any longer."

"You'll do what I say!" He snapped.

I looked at him levelly. His dark brown hair, his black eyes, his pale complexion all had been in my nightmares for months, "No I won't." With that I ran and leaped off the balcony spreading my wings to take me away.

I flew for sometime. When I thought I lost him I landed in a heap on the ground sobbing my eyes out. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I had cried. I never remembered crying in front of River and Jazz, not even when I had to get the handlebars of my bike surgically removed from my leg by grandpa Jeb.

"Aw, how sweet the seemingly stoic Ranger with out the smoke and mirrors." The petrifying voice of Bridon sneered overtop of me.

I immediately gritted my teeth and glared at him through my bangs, not caring whether or not my eye makeup was running tracks down my face.

Faster than lightning his hand smacked me in the face. Hard. I toppled over backwards and my hand flew up to my numb face.

He chuckled seemingly bemused, "You can't run from me Ranger. I'll just find you and beat you down." He said finishing by kicking me in the ribs.

I winced in pain as I heard a rib snap and felt the fire rise through it. Bridon was standing over top of me now looking down on me raising his leg for another blow. I closed my eyes waiting for it. But, it never came. Instead there was the sound of screeching metal and I opened my eyes just in time to see Bridon's head fly from my line of vision. For the first time in my life I fainted.

I peered through a swollen eye to see, what's his name, Emmett carrying me through the woods. I was too tired to stay awake so I just lolled my head against his arm and fell asleep.

I woke up but I kept my eyes closed and hear murmuring. "What was it Emmett?" I recognized it as Mr. C.

"It was another vampire." Emmett said softly.

My blood ran cold in my veins, vampire? What? These people had mental issues.

"What happened to her? It looks like she's been hit by a Mac truck!" Bella.

"Well," Emmett sighed, "he was beating the snot out of her. I took care of him though."

"Did you rip his head off and burn the pieces?" Jacob's husky voice asked somewhere out to my left.

There was a silence where I could picture Emmett shooting Jacob a look, "Of course I did. It's the only way you can kill a vampire numb nuts."

I figured I let this pretending nonsense go on long enough. I sat up and blinked groggily and stretched my sore muscles. "What? How the hell did I get here?" I honestly am a good actress.

"I was out hiking, enjoying the view when I found lying on the ground." Emmett said coolly.

Apparently I wasn't the only person who belonged on Broadway. "Okay let's cut the crap. My _ex_-boyfriend, and may I put emphasis on the ex part, was a freakin vampire and from what I researched only vampires can kill vampires." I kept everybody under my steady gaze, "Speak up now or make me find out the hard way."

Alice looked up at Mr. C, "Edward, she's going to find out. I can see it."

Edward looked at me, "Ranger, you're right. We're vampires. Except for Jacob and Nessie. Nessie is half human half vampire and Jacob is a filthy mutt."

"Werewolf." Jacob growled through his gritted teeth.

**Lynette: I don't see why you all like to read. I mean, I don't ever read. I have people that read to me. **

**Me: That's because you're a princess. **

**Lynette: I know. **

**Me: Please review. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Today I brought out Camira. She's different. In an ADHD Bipolar sort of way…**

**Camira: [waving frantically] Hi everybody! This is so cool! I always wanted to be in a story!**

**Me: Camira, you're just introducing that chapter.**

**Camira: [Offended] what's that supposed to mean. I'm not good enough for a story? Well, let's see if I ever do anything for you again!**

**Me: [whispers in Camira's ear]**

**Camira: [Smiling] Okay! Here's the chapter!**

"Whoa." Was all I was able to manage. I swallowed hard and looked at them, "I didn't know vampires could live with so many in a group."

"Usually they don't." Alice spoke up, "Normally they have disputes that end up killing each other."

"Oh." I said a little disgusted.

Later that night I walked silently to the bathroom. I stretched my limbs in the hallway. All my limbs. That includes my wings. I heard a gasp behind me and turned to see little Nessie running down the hallway towards the living room.

"Nessie, comeback!" I hissed.

The little girl/vampire ran to her mom and I stopped around the corner. Nessie put her hand on her mom's face. Huh. Maybe she wasn't going to tell on me after all.

Bella's eyes went wide and then Edward's followed. He then looked to the corner to where I was standing.

I held my breath but he didn't come around the corner looking for me he just turned around and continued to talk quietly. I looked at the time it was almost two in the morning. Who stays awake until two in the morning?

I turned around to see River standing behind me silently. "Jazz, she's having some sort of seizure!" He said quickly.

I hurried with him to Jasmine's room on the second floor. She was panting hard and shrieking. "Not this place again! I can't take it anymore."

"Jasmine, wake up!" I commanded sharply.

She just kept on convulsing.

"Is she having a seizure?" River asked anxiously.

I shook my head quickly, "No I don't think so…"

Jazz had stopped suddenly and was lying perfectly still. Her soft brown hair was around her head on the pillow and her long lashes laid heavily on her cheeks as she breathed evenly.

"Jasmine, wake up!" I said shaking her shoulder.

She sat up and blinked, her blue eyes were bloodshot, "Our parents are in trouble." She whispered. "They're at like a…a hospital or something. They're in trouble."

"Mom too?" River asked anxiously.

Jasmine shook her head, "She wasn't there."

"Wasn't where?" I asked slightly intrigued.

"In my-,"

"Vision?" I suggested.

"Yeah." She whispered and looked down at her fuzzy pink pillow in her lap. Her long hair covered her face so I couldn't see what she was doing. When she sat up her face wasn't streaked with tears like I expected it to. It was grim and determined. "We need to help them."

"Did you find out where they were?" I asked urgently. My parents had been there for me when I had surgery, when I broke my arm, when I was learning how to fly. Now it was my turn to be there for them.

"A sign above the door said Itexicon Corporation." She said.

I sighed and ground my teeth together, "Great. There are only five million of them in the US." I calmed myself down a little bit and said, "Okay, pack your bags. Backpacks only."

I hurried out the door only to smack face first into Emmett's rock hard chest. Once I could see clearly around the stars I saw all of the Cullen's standing outside Jasmine's door. "We're going to help you." Emmett said with finality.

"With what?" I asked.

"We heard everything." Alice said.

How could I argue with them?

**Camira: Oooh that's a pretty story! **

**Me: That's one chapter.**

**Camira: I'm only one person at a time I can only do one thing. I may not be Conquestador but still—**

**Me: [Pulls out a cookie] I'll give you a cookie if you tell them to review. **

**Camira: [jumping up and down for cookie] Oh cookie gimme, gimmie, gimmie. **

**Me: Ahem!**

**Camira: Re-uh…view!**


	10. Chapter 10

** Today I brought out Devlyn. Say Hello to the nice people Devlyn. **

**Devlyn: What is nice?**

**Me: An—**

**Devlyn: Emotion! Emotions do nothing in life except hold you back! Read the story and feel nothing! **

**Me: but—**

**Devlyn: Nothing!**

"You should have your stuff in the jeep within half an hour." Edward said.

Half and hour later we were speeding down a dirt road clinging to the handles on the jeep for dear life.

I woke up stiff and sore from sleeping in the jeep. It was slowing down, "Jasmine was it this place?" Alice asked.

Jasmine murmured her tired no.

"How do you know?" I asked tiredly.

Jasmine looked at me her blue eyes sincere, "I can feel it. If it is or isn't. I feel we have to go down south…possibly southwest."

River sat up and rubbed his eyes wearily, "Uncle Fang says we have some sort of internal GPS, or somethin'"

I nodded, "Yeah, he did didn't he?"

"I bet you guys are hungry." Bella said from the front seat, "I know Jake's stomach has been grumbling for hours."

The three of us nodded in unison.

Edward expertly steered the massive jeep through a McDonald's drive through window.

River pressed his face against the window, "Ooohh, they have Shamrock Shakes. What time is it? Is it still breakfast still?"

"Yep." Alice chirped from beside Bella.

I patted my pockets looking for my hot-pink see-through wallet, "Shit." I cursed.

"What?" River asked.

"I forgot my damn wallet." I muttered checking again.

"Don't worry about it, Ranger. We have you covered. When you live forever the tons of money you accumulate means nothing to you." Emmett said.

"We eat a lot. It gets pricey." I warned.

He just said firmly, "Don't worry about it."

"Well…in that case… I'll have three shamrock shakes, five hash browns, eight sausage biscuit things, six cinnamon rolls and twelve milks."

Alice's eyes might pop out of her head if they got any wider.

"Gimme what she's getting." River said jerking a thumb in my direction.

"River and I may not be identical. We are fraternal twins but we have the same appetite. Just make it _four_ Shamrock shakes." Jazz said.

I snickered at Jacob's expression as he ordered, "Seven McFlurries, twenty sausage egg and cheese sandwiches, fifteen hash browns, and twenty large Cokes."

I ignored him and swore I was going to laugh if he couldn't eat it all. Much to my dismay he did.

We were speeding down a deserted highway in the middle of nowhere when something happened. I'm still not sure what it was, River said it was like I disappeared into the seat's exterior but the Cullens said I just blurred.

Anyway, I was sitting there looking out the window dazedly when River said, "Whoa!"

My head snapped to look at him, "What?" I asked urgently.

"You disappeared."

I felt the texture of the seat beside me and wondered what it would feel like as skin. I looked at my hand and it was gone! I pulled my hand away from the seat and it was visible again.

I remembered that my dad would blend into his surroundings and creep up behind my mom and scare her to death.

"It looks like I inherited my dad's pain-in-the-ass ability." I said in awe.

**That one was short my apologies. Now review or I will cry. **

**Devlyn: I won't. **

**Me: Review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, I'd like to apologize for a few things,**

**1) I'm sorry for not updating for a long time. I had it written out but, lost it when my computer died**

**2) I'm sorry for those stupid things I'd put before each chapter. I was a stupid freshman and When I read through this story the other day I wanted to punch myself in the face**

**3) For the shortness of this chapter. It's just a filler, sorry. **

"What just happened?" Bella asked her golden eyes wide.

"My dad can, um, make himself blend in with his surroundings. It was a mutation from being, well…mutated. Apparently, it's hereditary because I can do it now too."

"Just like Jasmine can have her 'visions'." Emmett said coming to terms with what we were capable of doing.

I had to admit, I was feeling rather smug. When Jasmine got her powers I was jealous and I wasn't going to let River get his before I got mine. I secretly glanced at River out of the corner of my eye. He didn't seem to care that I had gotten my ability. He seemed content with playing patty cake with Renesemee. I had to admit; sometimes I worried about that boy.

I was arguing with Jacob about what the coolest movie was (he said _Elizabeth Town_ and me not being into the whole gushy chick-flick scenario said that _Tremors_ was the way to go).

"That movie's ancient!" He argued.

"It has Kevin Bacon in it. Life isn't complete without a little bit of Bacon! Seriously, Burt Gummer totally makes the movie complete. What complete movie doesn't have a man ready for WWIII?"

"Kristen Dunst is an amazing actress! The movie has a great plotline! I just think you're—"

I never got to find out what the mutt thought I was. Partly because Alice screamed for Emmett to watch out and the other part would be because the next thing I knew there was a loud explosion and the jeep was rolling over and over and over again.

The sound of twisted metal invaded my ears. My head slammed into the window next to me making me see stars. Parts of my black hair were stuck in the chipped glass and the window itself was smeared with my blood.

There is a reason everybody tells you to buckle up kids, because if you don't you end up being pitched violently forward, smashing your head off of a vampire, rebounding and your body sails through the back window of the wrecking jeep.

You know how in the movies somebody goes crashing through the window and doesn't even get scratched? That's not true. In real life your body feels like its being stung by thousands of bees, you feel like your hand is getting cut off and your wings are being torn apart feather by feather.

Everything was in slow-motion but the tree that sailed at my face was definitely real, and it definitely hurt when my face smashed against it and knocked me out.

When I woke up I hurt all over. The surface underneath me was cold and hard. I could hardly see through my swollen eyes and my clothes were torn and stiff with blood. The light was blinding my good eye as I sat up slowly.

I was sitting on a white concrete floor. A net was draped around me, except where it met a white concrete wall. I slowly got to my feet fighting off the dizziness and pain and reached a tentative hand toward the net.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A voice said. "That's electrified with enough power to fry you."

"Where am I?" I asked.

"Why, you're at the Institute for Higher Living."

**Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, this chapter is kind of long but bear with me here and I can make this story awesome. I have some plans for it, considering I had written a lot of it once before, I can do it again…only better. So please review for faster updates.**

I had never heard of this place in my entire life. "Right wherever _that_ is." I muttered running a hand through my uberly disgusting hair. "So where is this place at? Give me a city, state hell even a zip code."

Point Dexter wrote something on a clipboard. "Unfortunately that information is classified."

"Well anyway where are the others?"

He looked confused. "I do believe you are the only one of your kind here." He said flipping through papers messily.

"Listen up nerd-anator I don't give a flying fart if you have an IQ as high as Godzilla is tall you are going to tell me where my family is!" I snarled fists clenching at my sides. I resisted the urge to yank of the net for all of my worth, because it obviously wouldn't do me any good if I died.

Instead of responding Point Dexter walked out of the room frantically scribbling stuff on a clipboard. The door slammed shut behind him with a final _BANG_!

I groaned in frustration and paced uneasily along the little space I had. While I burned off calories I didn't have I thought.

_Okay, mom, dad, Uncle Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge and Angel are all gone. They were taken…somewhere and we had to find out where. Jasmine was the only one who knew for sure with the exception of Edward, who __**still**__ doesn't know where the hell they are. _

_ We were driving down the road after eating when something went wrong. Our— Emmett's jeep exploded __**after**__ I realized dad and I shared a power. _

_ Right my power. How could it help me here? I could turn invisible when they come to get me but then I would never get out of this freaking net. So, if they come and get me they will do…something with me, I'll turn invisible and then haul ass out of here. _

I crossed my arms and smiled smugly. I was seriously a genius! "Now we wait." I sighed and continued to pace, like a tiger trapped in a cage. That thought stopped me. I didn't even like the idea of being trapped anywhere. I couldn't even enjoy my injury-covered self because of that stupid simile.

I sighed in defeat and sunk to the floor and leaned against the wall. I assessed my injuries from toe to head with my eyes closed.

My feet were fine but my ankle was stiff and a little sore. The rest of my legs were fine. I had a cut on my right side from something and definitely some injured ribs. My left shoulder was tense and it hurt like a bitch. I'm guessing it hit against the tree after my face. My wings, they were the worst besides my face and head.

They were cut and still oozing blood after I had been here for only the-man-upstairs knows how long. Feathers were missing, but not that many just some small patches of skin showing here and there.

I experimentally tried to flex them and felt nothing but pain. Flying was definitely out.

My face had a huge bruise on my left side, which seemed to have taken the worst of the hit. My eye was swollen shut and some of the cuts underneath it were oozing something yellow. There was a gigantic goose egg on my hairline that you could land a mother-humpin' plane on! I had broken Max's rule number fifteen, buckle up for safety.

Eventually I fell asleep and I didn't wake up the normal way.

Searing, burning pain shot through my wings. It hurt so bad I screamed! I don't cry or scream it isn't attractive but this hurt so bad I didn't know what to think. I was still in the dazed state of after you just wake up, but this hurt so bad!

"The sedative is wearing off!" An urgent voice yelled.

"Inject her with some more you idiot! It's now going to take a few minutes to work. Just keep working on her wings." Another ordered.

"What happened to them? They look like they've been through a meat grinder." The first one.

I screamed as another dose of searing pain shot through them. Were they taking them off? I didn't know. I didn't think I could live without them. I screamed and tired to tell them to back the hell off but my mouth couldn't form the words.

I vaguely remembered my plan but, before I could put it to action I felt my self slipping away into darkness once again.

When I woke up again I was lying on a soft hospital bed, something I hadn't been graced with before. I opened my eyes long enough to asses where I was and quickly snapped them shut when I heard footsteps and hushed whispers.

I quickly made myself invisible.

"I thought it was right here fifteen minutes ago?" A man's voice said clearly sounding confused. "You worthless! You fell asleep?"

"Sorry sir." A tired reply said.

"It should have had enough sedative to keep it from waking for at least another three hours." A woman's voice said.

"Did somebody come to get it you worthless waste of flesh?" The whitecoat demanded.

"I—I don't know. I don't think so." The guard replied.

"Find it!" The man snarled.

Once I was sure I was alone I hopped off the bed and sprinted down the hall. I can't keep myself visible when I was in motion, I found that out the hard way when the guard jumped up shouting and hit the alarm.

"Shit!" I pushed myself farther down the hall. My bare feet hurt from hitting the cold tired so hard.

People were shouting behind me and I heard their footsteps behind as if they were the Jolly Green Giant. I knew they could never catch up to me unless…

Barking and yipping almost made me stop cold in my tracks. Unless they had dogs.

"Why can't my life be easy?" I demanded as I came to a fork in the halls.

Left? It led to a flight of stairs.

Right? It led to an elevator.

Maximum Ride rule number twenty-four: avoid elevators at ALL costs.

"Left it is." I said glancing quickly behind me. I immediately wished I hadn't. The dogs were closing in and getting closer by the second.

I took off down the stairs, thundering down them like an elephant. I didn't have time to be discreet.

_These stairs seem to go on for freaking ever!_ I thought as I continued to run down them.

Something nipped at my skin and I looked down, startled.

A dog.

I frantically looked to my left where the hole was that the stairs seemed to form around. I could barely see the floor, _that's _how high up I was.

The dogs were almost on me again so, I did the logical thing…I jumped over the railing.

A high-pitched screaming was coming from somewhere when I realized it was coming from me.

I shut my mouth and tried to open my wings, but they wouldn't open! _WHAT THE HELL?_ I strained to open them again and again but it was useless. The floor was approaching fast and I knew I was going to go _splat_.

I bent my knees wait for the impact.

(**Just a line break to make it appropriate for a dramatic pause…)**

Trust me, nothing and I mean _nothing_ can prepare you for the pain you feel when you hit a floor falling from forty or so stories up. I've fallen from tress, it ain't a big deal. I've even fallen from twenty feet up, yeah it hurt but I was also landing on grass.

My knees, that's what hurt the most. I landed with my bare feet flat on the floor, my knees bent. My knees suffered so bad that I fell on my back.

It hurt and I wanted to scream. But I wasn't going to do that, no. I was going to get up and go to the emergency exit door not ten feet away from me, step out and shut it like nothing happened.

Using the railing for the stairs I pulled myself up. My knees hurt so bad! I clutched at the railing almost afraid to let it go and fell the pain. But I had too. I could still hear the barking of dogs and the angry shouts of men above me.

I slowly, carefully, painfully made my way to the door.

Pushed it open, the sunlight coming from the small crack was blinding. And stepped out onto dingy, slime covered pavement. I was…in an alley?

A building towered above most across the street from my alley.

I gasped. "New York City?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Don't hate me for taking so long to update. I've been busy riding horses. I'm in the running for a belt-buckle this winter and it kind of took over my life. Not to mention I'm writing a personal story about a Zombie Apocalypse (YAYY!) Please review or thou shalt not update.**

That's right! The Empire State building was staring me in the face.

I frowned. How did I get from the west coast to the east coast? "This is messed up."

Not only that, but I was in a hospital gown, I was in pain and I was alone. My family was no where to be seen.

I turned and looked at the steel door that didn't have a handle on the outside. If they were back in there I wasn't sure what would happen. Everything inside me screamed for me to not go in there.

I crossed my arms and looked back to the street. If I went out there, they'd think I was crazy. I was in a _freaking hospital gown_! There were a few dumpsters in the alley. "EW no!" I almost gagged.

"If anybody asks…I'll make something up." I told myself and stepped out onto the busy street, earning me a look from a passing by Asian. I almost considered skipping down the sidewalk singing _Mary Had a Little Lamb_.

I walked for what seemed to be hours and thought up a plan. Didn't churches have Salvation Army boxes? Honestly, why didn't I think of it sooner? I picked up the pace and stopped at the nearest church where I grabbed black jeans, a black t-shirt and the closest pair of matching cool shoes I could find. My right shoe was purple and green checkered Vans and the left one was black and white checkers of the same brand.

I walked some more until my knees couldn't take it anymore then I popped-a-squat on a bench. Of course with an empty stomach, aching body and just a t-shirt on it started to rain.

It was a cold rain. I just sat in it gazing at absolutely nothing as it drenched me. It raised chills on my arms and plastered my black hair to my head. I was clenching my teeth to keep them from chattering when I noticed a black pair of skating shoes in front of me. My eyes trailed up the black skinny-jeans, black hoodie with some band on it, pale neck long fake black hair hidden under a black, neon green and red beanie, bright green eyes and snake bites.

_God snake bites are hot_!

"It's raining." The kid announced simply.

"Really?" I asked widening my eyes and glancing up at the sky. "I didn't notice."

He chuckled. "If you want you can come to my house and we can dry your clothes."

Maximum Ride rule number thirty-three, don't trust humans. But that seemed like a really good offer to me. "Sure." I said standing up, struggling not to wince.

"I'm Anakin."

"Ranger." I said eyeing him warily.

He started walking away. When I caught up with him he said, "You know your shoes don't match…right?"

"It's the new fashion."

"I wasn't aware."

"Get with it Anakin!" I snapped.

He led me up three flights of stairs.

They were hell on my knees and Anakin seemed to notice. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I lied. "I just hurt my knees playing…soccer earlier."

"Huh."

He opened a door and let me step inside. The living room had white furniture, a plasma screen television and an off-white carpet along with a few potted plants. The kitchen was off to my right and a sliding glass door was ahead of me. Adjacent to the kitchen was a short hall.

I turned and caught Anakin eyeing me up. I wanted to smack him and call him a pig. Hey, you can't deny I'm my mother's child. "What?" I practically snarled at him.

"You're my sister, Jessica's size."

"Oh." Now I felt like a jerk.

He came back with a pair of sweatpants, t-shit and overly large sweatshirt. "Bathroom is the first door after the kitchen."

I took them and headed to the bathroom. I undressed and breathed a huge sigh of relief when I saw the white bandage wrapped around my middle. They hadn't cut my wings off at all! They were just wrapped up tight.

I unwrapped them and slowly extended them just a little. I sucked in a hiss through my teeth. They hurt! They had some stitches in them, where they must have been cut from the window. I folded them as gently as possible and wrapped them back up as best as I could.

I handed Anakin my wet clothes, which he threw in the dryer. "I popped some popcorn. We can watch a movie from Netflix." He offered.

I smiled. "Sure." This was going to be the best choice I'd made in at least…forever.

We were lying on the floor covered by a blanket as we watched an action movie.

"So, where are you from?"

"Portland." I lied. I was from the Portland area. I didn't live _in_ Portland. I wasn't going to let a stranger know my family's location.

His gorgeous green eyes widened. "That's a long ways from home."

"Yeah, no shit." I said popping a handful of popcorn in my mouth.

"Where are you staying out here?"

I ignored him and became very interested in the movie.

"I can ask my dad if you can stay here for a few days." He offered taking some popcorn.

I considered it slowly. I didn't have any other choices and my wings were on the mend. It'd take four days tops for them to completely heal. "If I'm not imposing."

"Trust me you aren't." He assured as a buzzer went off in the other room, signaling that my clothes were done drying.

"You want those now?"

"Yeah. It feels weird not being in black." I chuckled.

I came back from changing and noticed that Anakin had changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt. The pats had R2-D2 on them and the shirt had a big face of Darth Vader on them.

I snickered. "You're a nerd!"

"Nuh-uh! _Star Wars_ is cool!"

We stood facing each other awkwardly when the door opened and I heard an "Oh my god!"

Simultaneously our heads snapped to the source. It was a man in his early forties with blonde hair and familiar blonde eyes. He practically dropped the groceries he was holding. "Not again!"

"Dad! It isn't what it looks like! There was…rain and…we were on the floor and just—"

"Stop!" his dad ordered putting his hands to his ears. "I don't want to know the details."

"But—"

I could feel my face turning red. It was an alien feeling. I Ranger Ride, _did not_ blush. Ever. "We didn't uh…do what you're thinking."

"It wasn't in my chair…was it?" He asked Anakin, slightly cringing.

"No! Dad we didn't do _that_! Believe me we totally didn't do _IT_."

My mouth dropped open. "NO! There was definitely no It doing here." I said smiling weakly.

"I was just wondering if Ranger could stay with us for a few days." Anakin asked. His face was still a brilliant shade of scarlet.

The man eyed me the shrugged. "Sure. She sleeps in Jessica's room and your bedroom door stays locked."

"Thank you sir." I said.

"Please, call me Lonnie."


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi! Girlreadsalot here! Sorry I haven't been updating I'm pretty busy. Somebody brought to my attention about the others and they asked what was happening to them. So, this is a short chapter about them. I'll have the other chapter with Ranger and Anakin up sometime this week (hopefully). I was wondering, what do you think of Anakin? Please let me know and please review. **

Jasmine woke up to complete and total darkness. She sat up to hit her head off something plastic. "Ouch!" she rubbed the spot on her head annoyed. Where _was_ she?

""Who's there?" Nudge's soprano voice rang out in the silence.

"Nudge! It's me Jasmine." She pressed her face to the bars in the front of her cage. "Is everybody else here?"

"All of us are here." Gasman's voice came from her right. He sounded tired, defeated. Not like uncle Gazzy at all.

"Jasmine! Where is River?" Her father's voice demanded from her far left.

"I…don't—"

"You got separated!" He sounded upset. If he were in better condition's he would probably have been a little angry.

"I'm over here, dad." River was in the cage directly to Jasmine's right. "What happened?"

They were all hesitant to answer.

"You were brought to the school." Angel said softly from somewhere around Nudge.

River let out a chuckle. "That's funny. They never caged us to keep us from cutting class before."

"You cut class?" Iggy asked.

"Iggy!" Max snapped directly at Jasmine's left, "We have other things to worry about right now. Jasmine," she turned her brown eyes on Jasmine, "where is Ranger?"

"I don't know." Jasmine admitted avoiding her aunt's gaze.

"Ange?" Max called.

"She's not in the building Max." Angel called.

Max sighed in relief as Gazzy went, "Oh my god!"

"What?" Nudge asked.

"Max's kid is supposed to bust us out of here."

Max's eyes got wide and she slumped against the back of her cage. "I should have trained her better. I should have _known_ better! I should have home schooled them and taught them how to fight. We're doomed."

"Max, we're fine." Fang said directly in front of Jasmine. She couldn't see him because her crate was on the floor and his was four or five crates up.

"How?"  
"If she's anything like you— which she is, it's almost identical— she'll figure something out. You always got us out of a bad situation, she has your instincts she'll be fine."

"What do we do?" River asked.

"We sit and wait." Max said grimly. "We're going to tell you what to expect from these filthy whitecoats until then."


	15. Chapter 15

Ever since I escaped from the Institute of Higher Living I've been on edge. I'd stand at the window in his sister's room where I was staying and watch people walk by, if I heard his neighbor's dog barking I'd tense and get ready to kick some ass.

If I really think about it I'm just like my mom. I remember when we'd go grocery shopping if a person would follow us for more than two aisles she'd tense up and look suspiciously over her shoulder.

Currently I was standing at the window watching a man in a jogging suit walk his dog. It didn't look like he did very much jogging if you asked me.

My door opened a crack letting a narrow strip of light play across my face.

Anakin poked his head in. "Are you okay?"

"It depends on how you look at it. I'm not sick or upset or anything. My legs and arms are feeling a lot better. I should be out of here by tomorrow." I admitted.

"My damsel in distress, would you like some breakfast? I made some pancakes and turkey-bacon."

"I'm glad you asked." I'm starving I said grinning. "But I don't damsel well. Distress, I can do. Damseling? Not so much." I admitted and with my life right now that was definitely the case.

I'd learned so much about Lonnie and Anakin just by staying with them for a few days. Anakin was quiet, shy, a nerd and he read books all of the time. He had an ex-girlfriend who he loathed to talk about even though he'd broken up with her for cheating on him almost a year ago. That he straightened his hair and wanted to get his ears grafted so he looked like an elf. I also learned that Anakin didn't like his dad very much and that he considered his mother no more than his egg donor rather than his mom and that on his first birthday she left Lonnie with Anakin and was never seen again.

Lonnie tried to be Anakin's friend but he was never home. He had a good white-collar job and worked for a girl that he talked about all of the time. He left before Anakin was awake and came home late, usually trashed from alcohol.

We were sitting at the breakfast table, I was shoveling pancakes down like they were going out of style. "What?" I asked Anakin. He was staring at me and it made me twitch.

His brows lowered as he frowned. "You remind me of somebody…I'm just not sure who."

I shot him a questioning look and continued to shovel pancakes down my throat.

Anakin blinked and shook his head. He rose from the table and disappeared down the hall towards his bedroom. He returned with a paperbacked book in his hands. He was still frowning as he flipped through it. Finally he set the book, front cover down, on the table. "I got it. You're just like her even though she's a fictional character."

"Who? Speak man! You make no sense!"

"Her!" He said flipping the book over. It was a picture of a girl standing on water facing a skyline that seemed to be on fire. The title read _Max: A Maximum Ride Novel_.

I blanched. My _mother_ had her own series of _books_? The same Maximum Ride that didn't go to school until she was fifteen and couldn't tell the difference between a hyperbole and a pseudonym?

I felt Anakin's eyes on me. "Have you read them?"

I shook my head. "I've never heard of them. What are they about?" I took some deep breaths, it could be somebody that _isn't_ my mom. That'd be a good thing.

"It's about this girl and her friends who have wings and they are supposed to go save the world."

_Calm down_! I screamed at myself. "What does she look like?"

"Well, Max is the leader…" _Oh god!_ "She has blondish brown wavy hair, eyes the color of un-barfed chocolate and brown and white wings."

I resisted the urge to slam my head on the table repeatedly. That was my mother!

"Fang is the next oldest." _Shit!_ "He has black hair; olive toned skin and dark almost black eyes. He wears a lot of black."

"Oh god!" I moaned and rested my head on the table.

"Are you okay?"

"Just continue."

"Iggy is the next oldest— he's blind— but he's good with bombs and cooking."

I groaned as he continued to prattle on about my family members and the people I was raised with. This is terrible!

"Are you okay?" He asked again once he was done.

"Kind of...can I borrow one of those books?"

He nodded. "Hold on, I'm going to get the first one so you can read them in order." He padded down the hall in his socks.

I drummed my fingers on the table restlessly. This was crazy! My mother was all about being discreet and here she has a book about herself!

There was a loud knock on the door. I got up and opened it. I swear that my jaw dropped and landed on the floor and I'm pretty sure my eyebrows were off of my forehead. Well, if you loose your vampires and your werewolf and they randomly show up at the place you're staying you'd understand my shock.

Jake was towering over me. His arms were crossed, he was scowling but something seemed off. He had dark circles under his eyes and he was uneasily standing in the doorway.

Alice had her hands on her hips and she was glaring up at me. Without saying a word she pushed past me and stood in the living room of Anakin's apartment.

"How did you guys find me?" I asked when I finally could speak.

"Don't be silly!" Alice hissed. "We followed your scent. That's one thing the mutt is usually good for." She shot a glance at Jake who was quivering like he was afraid. "But, he hasn't been much use to us lately."

"What—"

"We tracked you until your scent disappeared into a building. Then I had to pull some strings in a _very_ flattering dress until I lost your scent in the bleach smell. So, I went outside and picked your scent up in an alley."

"Alice, there's something you need to know about Anakin."

She didn't seem to care because she opened her mouth to begin another tirade.

I quickly covered her mouth with my palm. "He reads!"  
She pushed my hand off her mouth. "You're likely to get bitten if you do that again." It took her a moment to register my words. "Crap!"

"He knows about my family!"

"You think you're the only one in this boat? Carlisle paid a woman named Stephanie Meyer to write our story! It's a New York Times Bestseller!"

I groaned.

"Ranger, I found this— oh! Who's this?" Anakin asked, cocking his head to the side, a book halfway raised.

I opened my mouth but Alice cut me off. She should really stop doing that. "I'm Ranger's sister, Emma Young and this is our brother, Jacob."

Anakin lowered the book and narrowed his green eyes. He was looking back and forth between Alice, her pale skin, Jacob and his tan skin and me with my olive skin. Finally he shrugged. "Oh." He seemed disappointed. "Here, take this." He said handing it to me."

"But I'm leaving." I objected.

He shrugged, his gaze on the carpet. "You can mail it back to me."

I smiled thankfully and wrapped him into the biggest hug I had ever given anybody in my life. "Thank you."

Instead of stiffening up and not hugging me he wrapped his skinny arms around me and squeezed me back just as hard.

From here I could smell his shampoo and deodorant and I'll be perfectly honest, I felt so comfortable in his embrace I didn't want to let go. "I didn't mean just the book." I said softly as I stepped out the door.

He looked back at me seeming hurt and rejected he gave me a weak smile. "I know."

Then the door shut and I had the feeling that would be the last time I'd see Anakin.

"Fill me in." I demanded around my pizza. Seriously, it was my first time in New York and they definitely had the best pizza. I was sure nothing could compare.

"Nessie is gone." Edward said. He was being unnatural. He sat statue still, holding Bella's hand.

I swallowed so much pizza at one time it hurt. "What?" I sounded slow, even to myself.

"We know where she is though. We're going to get her." Emmett assured me. "Alice knows where she is. She's in danger if we don't get her now."

"Where?"

"Volturi, Italy." Alice said simply. "We leave tonight."

I narrowed my eyes, challenging them. "I have to save my family."

"That's why we're trusting you to do it." Bella said softly. She looked like she was on the verge of breaking. "We'll meet you back at your place when you find them. There's a good possibility you'll be back before us."

"I don't even know where they are!" I said incredulously.

"It's in here." Alice said pointing to the paperback book Anakin left me.

"Fine, it's a deal. See you at my place." I stood up, cracked my neck and took the book. I left the Cullens at the table in a small Italian restaurant. I needed someplace quiet to read. I blinked as I found something large in my pocket. I pulled it out and grinned. It was a roll of one-hundred dollar bills. Emmett must've slipped it into my pocket when I wasn't paying attention. I loved that big guy!

**HI! Please review. I really appreciate it. And it's the fastest way to get chapters. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Okay, I'm going to post this chapter even if I don't want to. ****Please read the Author's note at the end.**** I'll give you a warning now, this chapter is slow but she's finally going to piece things together.**

I landed in a field somewhere. The yellowed sun-baked grass was up to my hips. As far as I knew I was in Kentucky. I had formulated the plan after the Cullens had left for Italy. I was going to start at home and follow my gut.

I know, I know, it isn't that much of a plan but it's the best I can do. I squinted into the stormy horizon, looking for a place to hunker down, catch a few z's and wait out the storm.

I could barely make out the huge barn on the horizon. I pulled my wings in through my sweatshirt and headed toward the barn. My wings still hurt a lot but they were recovering.

The whitecoats seemed to repair what damage they had suffered when I fell through the back window of the jeep.

I reached the tin, tan barn as it started to downpour. I ducked in through a side door and caught my breath.

I used to have a thing for horses when I was little so, I knew as soon as I took a look at the gigantic sorrel horse in front of me that this was a thoroughbred farm. They were racing horses.

"Hi, pretty boy." I said quietly. I reached my hand up to stroke his silky soft muzzle. "I'm going to stay here tonight. Don't tell anybody I'm here."

I felt silly telling a horse not to tell anybody I was here but I did it anyway. I walked up a set of rickety wooden stairs to the hayloft after I swiped a flashlight out of a rusted cupboard.

I made a comfortable nest (no pun intended ha!) and opened up the book Anakin gave me. I made it to page sixty-three before I passed out.

The next day I flew off. When I stopped for lunch I was in Colorado according to a road sign I had passed a half an hour back. I landed in an area where there wasn't a person to be seen in miles.

I let my legs hang off the ledge of a cliff that led into the canyon. While I contentedly munched on a sub I had gotten from a Sub-Mart earlier in the day I started reading again.

I was totally absorbed into the book. I discovered that my family used to live in Colorado before Iggy and Gazzy blew up the house to take out erasers. And every time I read the word 'eraser' I immediately thought of the pink thing on the end of a pencil.

Finally, I got tired of sitting and decided to find a stream so I could fill up my water bottle. I was walking muttering about how stupid my parents were for actually publishing a freaking book about their lives when I found myself tripped.

"What the hell?" I demanded. I turned and found the head of a baby doll, melted and charred lying in the weeds. I picked it up and studied it.

It was dirty, deformed, missing a body and an eye and it was old.

I blinked. There wasn't a house around here for _miles_. Maybe a family was camping and some little girl lost it? I shook my head. That wasn't likely. There weren't any access roads around here for miles.

"Where did you come from?" I asked the deformed doll. I laughed, "like you can give me answers." Then, I tossed it over my shoulder and went on my merry way.

I was about to give up my search when I smelled something. It smelled like the remains of a campfire. I pushed through the thick branches of a pine and stopped short. There was a foundation and the charred remains of a house on the edge of the canyon.

I flipped open the book and skimmed for the description of the house. Main foundation should have been planted firmly on the ground and the rest of it hung over the canyon… which meant, if it burned down the other part of the house should be in the canyon.

I ran to the edge of the canyon and anxiously looked over. Sure enough, the burnt remains of a house were down there in a burnt heap.

"This is crazy." I needed some proof that my family had lived here.

I stepped up on the foundation and started sifting through the dusty rubble. Hours later I sighed and wiped my grimy palm across my face, no doubt leaving a streak of soot.

"Ranger, why do you have to go and chase fairy tails?" I sighed to myself…then I realized how much I sounded like my dad and I stopped.

But then I found myself giggling. Fairy tails were a joke. They were so real! In the past week I had met a coven of vampires, found out I could become invisible and met a werewolf.

Finally, after I giggled myself into hysterics I sat myself on the grimy foundation. I was absent mindedly tracing a crack when something alien touched my thumb. I knelt and used my fingernails to pick it out of the crack.

It was a photograph.

Six children, one man. The oldest was a girl with wavy brown hair with blonde sun-streaks in it and sassy eyes. She was standing to the right shoulder of the man. On the other side of the man a kid with strawberry-blonde hair was looking slightly away from the camera. On the girl's right side a tall dark kid with black hair that flopped into his face holding a little blonde boy firmly on his shoulders. He looked like he was trying not to smile. The man was holding a little blonde girl on his hip and he was laughing as the blonde boy was messing up his hair. And the African American girl was posing like a model.

That wasn't the biggest shock.

They had wings. All of them with the exception of the man. I'd recognize the sassy girl and the unsmiling boy anywhere. Mom and dad. Max and Fang.

I gently folded the photo and stuck it in the back pocket of my jeans. Slowly I sank to the warm ground in shock. I couldn't believe it was actually true. I slowly opened the book and began to read. I finished it as the sun was going down.

I had just been to The Institute for Higher Living. Now I knew where I needed to go.

"Death Valley, here I come." I said as I opened my wings and fell forward off the lip of the canyon. I felt powerful, strong and confident as I soared off into the bleeding orange and red sunset.

"Somebody stole my family." I said to myself. "And shit's about to go down."

**Okay, I'm a little upset right now. I'm thinking about deleting this story all together or just not continuing it. I have some awesome ideas in mind for it but nobody seems to care because none of you review. If you want me to continue this story I'm going to have to get feedback from you. I can't keep writing and getting only one review per chapter. I'm trying to give you chapters of the best possible quality and XxHelix RiderxX (sorry if I got that wrong) is the only one who is reviewing. So, sorry to be evil and cruel but review or no more story.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks to THREE faithful reviewers I have decided to update. I'd like at least five reviews for this chapter then I will post another one. **

I had gotten inside information that the Itexicon Corporation was letting eighteen year-olds come in for internship. After I beat the crap out of—okay, it wasn't that extreme—I slammed some nerdy guy with a bad red afro against a wall and demanded information. Then, he graciously gifted me with an informative pamphlet.

So, I went shopping for decent clothes, a pair of false glasses and learned how to do makeup so I looked older and it slightly altered some of my features. Then, I got on a shuttle bus into Death Valley and went to become an intern. When I first saw the building my jaw dropped. This place was. HUGE!

I quickly closed my mouth though. Here I wasn't going to be Ranger Ride, Queen of Comebacks and Ruler of Rebellion. Here, I was going to be Carman Valdez. A smart, sophisticated, rich proper lady. _God_, I needed a miracle.

I got off the bus and pulled my suitcase behind me. I followed the stream of other interns to the front, where a large, circular desk sat. At least seven secretaries were seated behind it. I waited in line and when it got to be my turn my secretary's name tag red "Lucille Mc'Moore".

I smiled a school girl smile. "Hi, I'm Carman Valdez."

Lucille typed something, paused, frowned and typed something else. "I'm sorry Miss Valdez, but we don't have your name in our system."

"Excuse me?" I demanded raising an eyebrow. "I called last week to ensure that everything was prepared for my staying here and I was assured that it was all situated."

Lucille looked like a deer in the headlights.

"You wouldn't want my father, Leonardo Valdez— the biggest name in computer chair manufacturing— after you. If you don't let me in I'll have you sued so fast you won't have time to say the word 'lawyer'. Do you understand?"

She looked really scared now and with wide hazel eyes she nodded and typed stuff into the computer. "Have you already paid?"

"Yes, father has made sure of that."

"Step over here so we can take a photo for your ID badge."

I stood on the X in front of a grey screen, smiled as they snapped the photo and moments later collected my badge.

"I'll have my assistant show you around." She turned to a handsome brown and blonde haired boy at her left. "Rob, show around Miss Valdez and she is to be treated with the utmost respect."

"Yes ma'am." Rob motioned for me to follow him. Soon we left the nice friendly lobby area into the sterilized white-washed halls of the building.

"Are you okay?" I noticed that Rob's eyes seemed not as shiny as normal persons. That they held some hardness and some of his movements seemed mechanical.

Rob frowned. "I don't know what you mean."

"You don't seem…human."

"I am not. I am a robot. I am Bot 472-EG8-4Y."

"That is interesting." I tried to remember to keep my Carman Valdez façade up. "How were you created?"

"Well, they put my chip inside a test tube with some human tissue and my brain formed. Then, they put my brain in this human body."

I tried not to cringe. That was truly disgusting.

"Up ahead is where the interns eat. It's the cafeteria."

I wanted to be like, "thanks bot-boy, I couldn't have figured that out without you" but I wasn't Ranger Ride anymore. I was Carman Valdez. "Okay. We go there to eat?"

"Yes." Rob led her down another corridor and he held the door open for her like a gentleman.

"Here is where you will sleep." He motioned to a bunch of cubicles. They were about the size of showers with walls that went from the floor to the ceiling on all sides. "Pick a cell and leave your bag there."

"They're called cells?"

"Yes."

I went to the nearest open one. "This one looks good." At the bottom of the "cell" was a soft foam bed. Shelves lined the walls as far as people would be able to reach. "We just sleep in here?"

"Yes. There are special compartments for your clothes." Rob snapped his fingers and drawers popped out of the walls waiting for my clothes.

"Do we shower?"

"Oh yes. We shower in the locker rooms…well, the human interns do."

"Okay."

A kid with curly brown hair strolled in. "Hey Bot, what's up?"

Rob's gaze hardened, he set his jaw and without looking at the kid he said, "I am showing Carmen Valdez the basics of the facility."

The chubby guy came over. "Why would you do that? I can show her around."

"I was ordered to by Ms. Mc'Moore." He said stiffly.

"Hey Carmen," The kid looked like the nerdy kid from _Accepted_. Only he was more cocky and I wanted to instantly kill him. "Do you mind if I show you around?"

I took a step away from him. "I'm fine." I said coldly. Here I was supposed to be an "A" student, a quiet girl who was smart, never did anything dangerous or stupid and never got into fights. I was practically trying to be the opposite of me. It was hard.

"Are you sure?"

"I am sure." I said narrowing my eyes behind my fake glasses.

"Fine baby, whatever." With that, the fat kid walked away.

"You can set up your cell and I'll be back to escort you to dinner? I myself will not be eating I do that in my cell but I will show you the way."

I smiled at the kind Rob. "That sounds great. See you soon."

* * *

The food was…decent. It wasn't fantastic but, it wasn't school-cafeteria bad either. I sat across for a girl with long honey colored hair and blue eyes. She picked at her food while conversing with the Asian girl to her right. "Are you going into the seventh-sector, like you said last week?"

The Asian shook her head. "No. They said what's in the seventh-sector is containing something dangerous?"

I paused. "Dangerous how?"

They seemed to notice me for the first time. "Oh, you're one of the newbies." The blonde said.

"I suppose…"

"We don't know what they are. They won't tell us." The Asian said looking around like we were discussing something secret. "I'm Michelle by the way."

"I'm Marlee." The blonde said.

"I am Carman."

We chewed our food in silence until Marlee said, "Bot-boy brought you to dinner."

"Who?"

"She's talking about Rob. The robot."

"Oh. He seems nice."

"He doesn't know the meaning of the word nice. Actually, he doesn't understand any emotion at all. That's why its funny."

I wanted to smack Michelle in the face but instead I took a dainty bite of dinner and said, "Yes, it's amusing."

I hated doing it. I hated not being myself. But it was crucial if I wanted to safe my family. I had to play my cards right or they'd never be free. If I freed them and then got caught that was fine.

That night I tossed and turned in my cell. The bed was too comfortable, the sheets were too soft. Finally, I managed to drift into an uneasy sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

White lights blinded me. I am the kind of person who needed it to be pitch-black before I slept. I sat up groggily and looked around. The cells were designed so people could look out at what was going on but the people outside couldn't see what was going on inside the cell.

Interns were starting to emerge. I rose, snapped my fingers and rifled through my drawers. I pulled out a pair of slacks, flats and a dressy blouse and quickly put them on. I hastily applied my makeup and pulled my hair back into a tight bun. I put on my glasses and slid open the door to my cell.

A crisp, white lab coat hung on a hook. I put it on.

"Good morning, Carman." The nerd guy that was giving Rob a hard time yesterday greeted me.

"Good morning, Steven."

Steven held a clipboard. "I'm the supervising intern. This is how things will work around her—"

I cut him off. "I presume I will be teamed up with a few other interns and a scientist daily. I am certain I will have to take notes and learn how to perform the tasks that they show me. Am I correct?"

Steven blinked. "Yes…after breakfast that will happen."

"I may look like I'm thick-skulled; Steven but I assure you I am not." I headed off for breakfast.

I was enjoying some eggs when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see a woman in her mid-thirties, early forties smiling down at me. "Hello, Carman. I'm Dr. Dwyer. You'll be sticking with me today."

I smiled, "Sounds great." I ate my fill and followed Dr. Dwyer throughout her activities.

"This is where you will start." She said swiping a card into the slots. "You'll observe the animals we have here and then maybe by the end of the week you can start working somewhere else."

"I'm only here for four weeks." I told her I knelt to observe a homely hound. He was red with white and black spots but his eyes were weird. They were hazel. I had never seen a dog with hazel eyes before.

"That's Jack. He's just a puppy."

"He has pretty eyes."

Dr. Dwyer looked at her clipboard and didn't really seem to care what I had said. "You're very observant."

I glanced up at her a little annoyed but I rose. "What do I do?"

"Read these charts for me and tell me what they say."

I glanced at the charts. "Jack needs two cc's of Czymoxtherain, Black needs two scoops of special food to help her digestive system…" I prattled on about four more dogs and their medical needs and when I was done I handed the chart back to the doctor.

I saw a hint of coldness in her eyes but it quickly disappeared. "Yes…I see you're good at reading graphs and charts. Would you like to administer some of the medication?"

"That is what I'm here for." I took the bottle of Czymoxtherain from her and the syringe. My parents hated needles. I don't know why. They never bothered me, not a bit. "Anything I should do for this dog, Dr. Dwyer?"

"No…and call me Brigid."

"Okay." I completed the tasks before me and she watched me with interest. Well, there was a hint of doubt, then disbelief and then maybe a twinge of jealousy in her expression.

"Fantastic, Carmen…come with me, we will try some other things."

Finally, I had like an hour to myself after lunch. I collapsed of the soft bed in my cell. Being an intern was killing me. Every task Brigid had given me was easy for me to complete which was good for Carman Valdez's image I guess. She said something about giving me a promotion the next day.

"Ranger, you're killing yourself." I said shaking my head.

"Who's Ranger?" Rob asked from outside my cell. He was leaning on the doorframe.

"That's what my father used to call me." I said lying quickly. "I was his little ranger."

"That's an interesting nickname…would you like to go for a walk?"

"Sure." Even though I was exhausted it would help me get a good idea where my parents were. I needed to make progress but I needed to be professional and work my way to the top of the intern chain as fast as I could. The higher rank I was the more information I'd be able to get and I'd be able to access more places.

"How has it been?"

"It's been easy. I know most of this stuff already. I learned it in college." Wow, I was pulling out all of the stops. I was making this thing big. It was the only choice I had.

"You graduated college?" He seemed puzzled.

"Yes, I graduated high school when I was fourteen."

"Dr. Dwyer was the same way."

Hmmm, that was interesting. I needed to learn more about her and more about Rob. It would help me get a better grasp at what I was dealing with. "You said the other day you couldn't understand emotion. Is that because of your chip?"

"Yes. My mind is forty-five-percent computer. I can store information and solve any problem. It doesn't allow me to comprehend emotion. Also, I have issues understanding humans and their…quirks."

"What kind of quirks?"

"I don't understand why some people bite their nails."

"Nail-biting is a habit that comes from being nervous."

"I don't…understand what being nervous means. I know it is an emotion; I just have never experienced it before because of the way I was engineered. According to the scientists, emotions hold people and experiments back. Years ago a scientist being emotionally attached to an experiment led to the downfall of several Itexicon corporations all over the world."

Interesting. "Emotions do get in the way. That's why I put things bluntly, straight to the point." Carmen Valdez may not have Ranger Ride's sarcastic and snarky sense of humor but, when I'm done being her she will be remembered as the girl who was very smart and blunt with her scientistic facts.


	19. Chapter 19

**This was going to be like two different chapters but I combined them to make a super chapter…or a regular chapter haha. I'm going to try and update more frequently due to the fact I'm now on summer vacation! I'm a Junior now!**

"Carman, I have to go to a meeting and I can't leave you unattended. Would you like to join me? I think it couldn't hurt because you've moved through the ranks of the interns fairly quickly. It usually takes an average intern two weeks to get to where you've gotten in four days."

I glanced up from my clipboard. "It couldn't hurt."

Brigid led me through the hallways up three flights of stairs and to the end of the hall where two double doors stood. She pushed through them to enter a conference room. She took a seat and I joined her.

A man at the end of the table looked up at us, peering at me over his glasses. "What is this _intern_ doing here?"

He said 'intern' like it was vermin or something. I fidgeted with my fake glasses and crossed my legs, shifting in my seat.

"Mr. Moore, she is here because she is the best intern that has ever passed through these doors, guaranteed."

The other people in fancy suits looked at me. It was making me uneasy but I couldn't let it show. I was Carman Valdez, who was used to attention for being extraordinary at everything she did. Ranger Ride, received attention for mouthing off, the two were totally different.

The man's skin was wrinkly and old, he reminded me of a senator or something. He closed his mouth and directed his scowl at the rest of the table. "Well, let us get down to discussing the issues at hand. Experiment numbers' AHB-4753 and AHB-7149 produced offspring. We have known this information for years. The second-generation-hybrid had been captured and was held at The Institute for Higher Living in New York City."

I stiffened.

"The hybrid escaped and we have the fleeting suspicion that it is headed here. Before it had left New York it had taken refuge with a human. That human has been captured and has been brought here today. Geoffrey, please bring in the human."

A door across the room opened and another almost-human-looking-bot entered, dragging a limp form with it. The figure lifted it's shaggy black head and a pair of familiar green eyes looked at the figures around the table.

I shrieked and jumped, earning me looks.

"Miss Valdez, what is wrong?" Mr. Moore demanded.

"I thought there was a spider crawling up my leg. It was just some lint." I gave a weak smile, composing myself. It was hard with Anakin in the room, looking like he'd been through a blender.

He was covered in cuts, had a black eye and his mouth was bleeding. When he was hauled forward he walked with a very noticeable limp. His eyes found me and my blood froze in my veins.

I pretended I didn't recognize him.

"With this _traitor_ in hand we feel that the hybrid will be drawn here even more, considering they became quite the comrades over a few days' time."

"Will he be executed?" A man with a British accent who sat a ways down the table asked.

I looked at him in disbelief. _No! No he will not. He'll come with me when I bust my parents out._

"For now we'd like to keep him alive…at least until the hybrid gets here. After we capture her, we'll kill him."

"I don't even know what you're talking about!" Anakin yelled, struggling against the robots holding him. "I don't know why I'm here, why I was beaten or...or…why my dad did this to me." The last word came out in a broken sob that broke my heart.

"Dr. Moore," Brigid spoke for the first time. "Why would we waste such good material? Surely we could manage to make—or use him for _something_. He looks like he is strong and healthy enough…well, minus the wounds."

Dr. Moore seemed to consider this. Finally, he said "we will see if he's this healthy by the time the experiment comes. The meeting is adjourned."

I rose and followed Brigid down the hall. "You will not speak of anything you just witnessed in there." She said glaring up at me.

"No ma'am."

"Even if you don't think it was fair."

"I think it is plenty fair. That _thing_ was a traitor to the human race. It disgusts me." He was a friend, a friend that had been willing to help me in my time of need. It disgusted me that I was saying what I was saying and what they had done to him. What I had done to him. It was all my fault. I had to fix it.

"Carman, I have some good news!"

I glanced up from my clipboard. Brigid sounded unnaturally fake. I wasn't sure that was a good thing.

"You're being promoted not just up the Intern ladder one rung, but three! Two more promotions and you'll be Executive Intern—it's the high rank an intern can receive and they are treated just as respectfully as Dr. Moore." Yeah, her smile was totally forced. I could see it in her eyes that she didn't like me as much as she pretended she did. We were to alike.

Not to mention the fact that I was going to be treated better than her and I was just an intern. I'm sure it was grinding her gears pretty good. I had to pretend I didn't know what I knew about Brigid. I smiled, "that's fantastic! It wouldn't be possible without you—an amazing doctor guiding me." Oh yeah, I knew how to suck up _and _I was good at it."

A small hint of hardness left her eyes. "Aw thank you."

When I got back from lunch there was a card on my lab coat. I inspected it carefully. It looked like a driver's license with the bar on a credit card on the back.

"It's a keycard." Rob said from behind me.

"That's cool."

"You can go anywhere now."

I smiled. This was going to make finding my family and Anakin so much easier. They were preparing for the enemy to enter, but the enemy was already in the building. Two days from now Carman Valdez and some experiments were going to be missing.

I slept for three hours before turning myself invisible and grabbing my keycard. I snuck through endless waves of doors, going deeper into Itex's depths. According to the clock I had been wandering aimlessly for three hours. I was getting tired and I was about to give up the search and begin again tomorrow night. I pushed through the last door and froze in my tracks.

The room was dark but there were endless rows of cages and cages stacked up to eight high on top of one another. It was crazy! All of them were full of mutants. A cat-dog hybrid that wasn't breathing. A fish hybrid who's scales were falling off, a chicken-owl hybrid that looked just plain creepy and most of all eight human-avian hybrids all asleep in various cages.

Jasmine had fallen asleep kneeling at the entrance of her cage, fingers curled around the bars on the door, head resting on the door. It was creating lines on her smooth, troubled face.

Next to her was my mom. I wanted to get her out of the cage worse than anything! I had never seen her look more defeated.

I was reaching for the latch when I heard footsteps. I ran to the exit across the vast room and all the way back to my cell, the entire way formulating a plan.


	20. Chapter 20

"Carman, we have to go to a meeting!" Brigid said looking rather flustered as she hurried around the corner.

I glanced up from putting some serum in a syringe. "Again?"

She nodded. "It's very important. Apparently, somebody broke into the labs last night. One of the security guards found the doors in sector seven open. It's suspected that it was the second generation hybrid."

I capped the full syringe and set it on the metal tray. "Okay let's go."

"We have had a break in." Dr, Moore stated looking at us behind his thick glasses, the sagging skin around his eyes reminding me of those Chinese dogs. Sharpies or something like that. "We are upping security. We think it was the second generation hybrid. If you see a suspected mutant wandering the grounds at night shoot it. Who knows? It could even be working here. If you know there's a mutant that isn't allowed in the walls of this facility than it is to be killed immediately."

All of the robots—Rob included—nodded. They now had guns slung over their shoulders.

"We are upping security. There are to be twenty robots on patrol at all times. Am I understood?" He asked them.

They all nodded.

"And my workers, you are to report suspected mutants to me, or the nearest guard."

"Yes, sir." We said.

"Very good. Now, carry on with your business."

As I left the meeting I crossed my arms to keep people from seeing my shaking hands. What if Brigid suspected something? Then I'd be dead in the water and my parents and Anakin would soon follow. Shit.

That night I got out of bed, put on my "glasses". I stayed in my street clothes. A grey sweatshirt with black sleeves, a black hood and the Union Jack on the back and a pair of black jeans. I was going to talk to Rob before I put my plan into action. I left the facility, flashing guards my photo ID as I walked by, they let me pass with ease.

It was a dark night, the only thing letting me see the pale gravel on the drive was a streetlight, it shone white LED light onto the ground. Crickets were chirping and it was hot and muggy. Almost like it was going to rain but, considering out location on the globe it was unlikely.

There were no stars out, not even a moon but that wasn't a problem considering of my raptor vision. The guard tower was straight ahead. I resisted the urge to run to it because it would get me shot easily.

I grabbed the metal railing and used it to guide me to the top. The floor of the guard tower was steel grating, I could see the gravel below.

Rob was sitting in a chair, his back to the drive just gazing out to the desert below. When I cleared my throat his blue eyes looked at me. He stood up, set his jaw and looked back out to the desert.

"This is my last night here. I'll be gone by the morning." When he didn't say anything and just continued to stare out at the desert, his gun on his shoulder I cleared my throat and continued. "Father needs my help running the corporation."

He looked in my direction, but he still wouldn't look _at _me.

"Why won't you look at me?" I demanded crossing my arms.

Without looking at me he said, "You're making me feel things I don't understand. _Emotions_ that I've never felt before. They told me I was experiencing anger and bitterness before. Now you're here and I'm just…I don't understand!"

"Confusion?" I suggested.

He nodded. "That must be it. That's what the definition was when I looked it up. Also, now I'm…sad."

"I'm sorry, Rob."

"I wish I didn't know."

"Know what? That I'm leaving?"

He shook his head slowly. Still not looking at me, looking down and looking defeated he said, "I know what you are."

My blood froze in my veins. He knew who I was. He knew I wasn't Carman Valdez but Ranger Ride. He was going to kill me…unless I could convince him to pretend he doesn't know. "Then, forget."

He shook his head again. "It isn't that simple. I can't lie, it's impossible."

"I'm not asking you to lie. I'm asking you to forget."

He looked like he was in incredible pain and incredibly sad. His words were full of regret. "I can't."

I had no choice. I reached a hand up, tangled it in thing brownish-blonde hair and with all of my force brought Rob's head down onto the railing that ran the perimeter of the guard house. He fell limply to the floor, a bruise already forming. "You can now." I said, not bothering to whisper.

I tossed my glasses off the side of the guard tower, no need for that stupid prop now. I turned myself invisible and leapt into the air, spreading my black and brown wings. I flew to the front door, yanked it open and sprinted down the white hall.

I remembered my course from yesterday almost perfectly. I thundered down flight after flight of stairs, and finally when I reached the bottom a sign with an arrow pointed me to Sector Seven. I could see the doors, I just had to get through them and I'd be home free.

There was one problem. Another 'bot guard was blocking them. And this one wasn't small. I wouldn't be able to man-handle him like I did Rob.

Without thinking I ran up, swept its legs from underneath it, snatched up the gun and brought the solid wood butt of it down on his head, knocking him out cold.

I burst through the doors. Those pink emergency lights cast an eerie red glow over everything. Making myself visible I ran to the nearest cage containing my family. It was The Gasman's cage. I unlocked it and shook it, causing him to wake.

"Wha'!"

"Get up Uncle Gazzy, it's time to go."  
"Ranger?" He asked blinking and rubbing his eyes in what was more than likely disbelief.

"Ranger?" My mom's voice said from way over to my right. "Is that you?"

"Well it sure as hell isn't the first lady." I said, opening Iggy's cage. Iggy jumped out and unlocked Jasmine and River's cages.

Nudge's cage was to high up for me to reach so, I spread my wings and in one flap I was able to open her cage.

I opened my dad's next. He burst out and wrapped me in a tight hug…it was a little out of character for my dad. "I knew you'd come and save us. Your mom had her doubts."

I put my hands on my hips and turned to face my mom. "Have a little faith, sheesh!"

"Let's go!" River said running for the door.

We all took off after him but I froze in my tracks when I reached it. "Wait! Anakin!"


	21. Chapter 21

"Who?" Jasmine and my mom asked at the same time.

"The kid who helped me in New York. His name is Anakin and he's around here somewhere." I pictured him and looked at Angel, "can you find him?"  
She paused her blue eyes looking up the ceiling. The she looked at me and she shook her head sadly. Everybody is asleep or not here. Nobody is around him to picture him."

"I can find him." River said stepping forward.

"How?" I crossed my arms and stuck my jaw out. He'd grown a few inches and was now two inches taller than me. I didn't like it.

He shrugged. "I don't know. It's just lately I can sense who's coming into the room before they even get here. Well…not exactly who but _what_. They're like different colored dots if I close my eyes. Humans are yellow."

"Well, look for a yellow dot."

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. "Upstairs…and the second door from the hall…there's only one bot in the way." He opened his blue eyes. "We can take it."

"Let's go!" I said running for the door. We roared up the stairs and on the landing a bot was there. My mom gave it a spin kick to the jaw, causing it to stumble and Nudge was there to give it a knee to the face.

"Sweet!" River said high-fiving Nudge.

We entered the door at the top of the stairs. When I pushed the correct door open I stopped cold.

Anakin was lying on a hospital bed. His face was bruised, he had a nose tube in and a bunch of IVs stuck in his body. A heart monitor kept the beat of his heart. He was sound asleep.

"This is him?" My dad asked.

I nodded. I quietly went over to his bead and gently shook his shoulder, "Anakin, wake up. _Anakin, wake up._"

His frosty green eyes opened and it took him a moment to focus on me. "Ranger?" His voice was raspy, his mouth was probably really dry.

"Hey, let's get you out of this stuff."

He smiled and I swore my heart stopped. "Okay." He reached up and took out his nose tubes, then unclipped the heart monitor from his finger.

"Ig, you want to take out his IVs?"

Iggy nodded and with gentle, soft fingers he pulled out Anakin's IVs. "You're good."

"Where are your clothes?" I asked him.

He put a pale hand to his forehead, pushing back his black hair. "Uh…in the cupboard above the sink…I think."

We stepped out while he changed his clothes When he stepped outside I wrapped him in a tight hug.

He smiled. "I knew you'd save me."

"Did you know that was me in the conference room?"

He nodded.

Gazzy cleared his throat and I stepped away from Anakin. "Anakin, remember when you said I reminded you of that girl in that book, Maximum Ride?"

He nodded.

I walked over to my mom and put my arm around her shoulders. "That's because she's my mom. I look like Fang because, well, he's my dad."

Anakin's eyes widened. "No way! That's crazy!" He shook my flock's hands. "You guys are like my idols!"

"This is cute," River said in a voice that said he was totally bored. "But we should probably get going."

My mom nodded and headed for the window, she opened it. "Fang, Iggy, will you carry the boy?"

They nodded.

"Jump." Iggy told Anakin.

"What?"

"Jump. We'll catch you, don't worry."

Dad didn't give him time to jump. He pushed Anakin and they followed, catching him by the arms before he had time to hit the ground.

We joined them in the air.

"This is so cool!" Anakin yelled, the wind pushing back his black hair.

I smiled at him.

* * *

We only had to stop once and we stopped in an empty field. "So you guys have all of your powers?" Anakin asked around the campfire.

They nodded.

"While we were at the school they gave me the force." He said in total seriousness.

I laughed and shoved him. "No they didn't."

"Yes they did." He was being totally serious.

"The force? Like you can choke people with your mind?"

He shook his head. "Throw something at me…it only works that way."

Nudge picked up a stick and I shifted a few feet away from him. She threw it at him.

Anakin flinched and protected his face with his hands. The stick stopped in mid-air and floated, end over end. When he realized that he'd successfully stopped it he relaxed and was able to move it around before the effort seemed too much and he dropped the stick. Then he looked pointedly at me and said, "told you."

I felt sick to my stomach. They had experimented on him. "What'd they do to you?"

"They gave me a lot of shots, did an operation or two and gave me lots of tests. Always tons of tests."

I felt a little guilty. I had been working as their lapdog and Anakin and my family were starving and being tested on.

"It isn't your fault." Angel assured me from across the fire. He long hair was tangled and messy and in desperate need of a brushing. "You couldn't have known. And without you we wouldn't have been able to get the hell out of there."

Nudge nodded in agreement. "We owe you."

I felt eyes burning holes into me and I turned to see Anakin, his face grim. "Can I talk to you? _Alone_."

I looked at my mom and she nodded. So I got up and followed Anakin to the woods on the outside of the clearing. "What?" I asked when we were far enough away from the others.

"You think it was your fault."

I looked at the white toes of my sneakers and nodded.

"Why?"

"I was acting like a lapdog to the people who were torturing you!" I felt obligated to point out.

Two fingers lifted my chin so I was looking him in the eye. "You saved me. And for that I'm thankful."

That's when we crashed our lips together.

**Hey guys, it's me. I want to make a sequel to this story, but it's going to tie into the House of Night Series. How many of you have read it? Please, review and tell me what you think of the idea. Thanks, Girlreadsalot.**


	22. Chapter 22

**This is that last chapter for this story! IF you want to continue with the story look for the sequel soon! It doesn't have a name but it will be a House of Night crossover. You don't need to reed the books to figure out what is going on. Read, enjoy, review.**

My. Brain. Was. EXPLODING! Well, not in a literal sense. That's what it felt like at least, pressed against Anakin, my hands behind his neck to keep him drawn close to me.

His hands were pressed against my back, between my wings and he was keeping me close. So, close I could feel his heart thudding in his chest when I moved my palm to his chest.

When we decided to come up for air my face was red and I was breathing like I had just run a marathon.

Anakin wasn't in much better shape. He was red and his green eyes were wide with amazement, disbelief, or happiness. If you ask me it looked like all three. "I've, uh, wanted to do that for a long time." He ran a hand through his black hair.

I gave a soft chuckle. I guess I had too, I just didn't know it. I gave him a light punch. "Me too." I wrapped my arm around his waist as we walked through the woods, slowly making our way to the clearing.

Putting his arm around my shoulders he didn't say anything, just walked under the full moon.

A question had been burning in the back of my mind since we rescued Anakin. "Are you going back to New York?"

We stopped walking and he sighed. "I don't think so…no. I can't. They destroyed my house and took me. When they were knocking me out with sedative my dad stood there and _watched_. He _watched_ them knock me out and take me. That isn't even the worst part…" He took a breath, it sounded wheezy, like his breath was caught in his throat. He was trying not to cry. "I saw him take money from the man in charge. He was paid to give them me."

My arm fell to my side. I sank slowly down to a fallen log, covered in moss. My breath was heavy, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I felt numb from his words. Finally, I looked up to him. "I am _so_ sorry. I—I can't imagine…"

Anakin set his jaw and glared at the forest floor. "He was an asshole."

"What can I do?"

He looked me dead in the eye and with all seriousness he said, "don't make me go back."

Finally I stood up and grabbed both of his hands with my mine. He had been crying silently. With our hands still intertwined I brushed them off with the backs of my hands. "You can stay with us. We have a big house and an extra bunch of rooms."

"Thank you." We were hugging now. It wasn't a romantic hug, it was a hug that somebody who was really upset gave a person they trusted. Like, if they let go of that person they'd just drift away and they couldn't drift away because if they did they'd be alone and that was what they were afraid of.

I was glad to be his anchor. He needed me. And I know it's corny but in some weird way I needed him. I needed to be his anchor because I knew that someday I was going to need an anchor and he'd be there for me.

"Ranger, time to go!" My mom called.

I grabbed his hand. "Come on."

* * *

It felt good to be back in my own garage, to see Iggy's orange Mustang GT, my dad's sleek black car and my mom's red convertible. I smiled at the sight of my blue, yellow and white dirt-bike in the corner, next to the twins'.

Dad went to go open the basement door when Jasmine said, "Wait…someone was—or is here."

River and Angel exchanged a wide-eyed glance. Angel gave a short nod.

"How do you know?" Angel asked.

Jasmine frowned. "You don't see it?"

"What?" I asked the same time as Gazzy, Fang and Anakin. My mom was just steadily frowning.

"Well, there's a scuff of the third step from the door, the dirt next to the garage door has shifted slightly and scooter handle isn't pointed at the same angle it was when we left."

We gaped at her with open mouths. "What?" I asked stunned.

"Well, if you just look closely at the details you'd see that it was a person…no, people with a light step and an extra cautious touch."

"Jazz, you're picking up details none of us can see."

"Is it a new skill?" She asked amazed. Her eye flicking from the step to the scooter.

"It'd make sense." Nudge said softly. "You can notice miniscule details that can hardly be seen…it's a great to know your surroundings."

My dad opened the door and walked into the living room. "Nobody's here."

I frowned. Maybe Jasmine was wrong after all.

"Ranger oh my god!" A familiar voice shrieked and wrapped me in a supernaturally tight hug.

"Hi, Alice." I struggled to say.

Sure enough the Cullens, include Jake and Nessie were in the living room in an instant.

"Good to see you, Nessie." I said squatting next to the little girl.

"I hope you don't mind she rode the little scooter in the garage." Bella said shifting uneasily.

"Oh it's fine."

"Glad to see you found your family." Emmett hugged me. Man, I missed him like a brother.

"Guys, this is Alice, Emmett, Bella, Jake Nessie and Edward."

At Edwards name he and Angel tapped a finger to their temples and shared a smirk.

"You knew they were here all along." I accused.

"Guilty as charged." She and River said at the same time, earning them a laugh.

"We wanted to make sure you got home safely." Edward said stepping forward. "But, we have family to get home to. We'll keep in touch." He promised.

I hugged each of them and thanked them. Especially Emmett and Alice and I teared up as we watched them pull away.

Finally, I turned to mom. "Anakin is staying with us, right?"

She nodded.

* * *

So, I guess this is where I leave you guys. Well, at least until I have another crazy adventure. Our powers are growing, so is our family. Ella is pregnant again! We can't wait to welcome the new baby. Until next time,

Ranger Ride.


	23. Sneak Peak!

**Okay guys, I have the name for the sequel its "The Crazy Times of Ranger Ride" but it's not up yet. I'm going to wait until school starts or I get a computer with Microsoft word and internet because I use the school's Microsoft programs and my account will expire soon. Here's a sneak peak!**

"Wait…there's something down there." River said barely whispering in the dark tunnel.

"What?" I asked him.

He frowned, and I could see that thanks to my inherited hybrid vision. "I'm not sure…its almost human…but not quite."

"Jazz?" I turned to River's twin.

She ran a hand over the dirt walls. "People walk up and down these tunnels frequently…I can tell by the feet impressions in the dirt."

"See River, they're just people. We can crash with the hobos for tonight, like our parents did once, then we can continue to the House of Night school. No biggie." I started walking down the tunnel; River reached up and yanked me to a stop.

I glared up at him. "Cool it Mr. Long-Pants!" I snapped. I used to be taller than him and he had an insane growth spurt and was almost as tall as his dad. "There's nothing to be afraid of down here, except for the dark."

We rounded a corner in the tunnel lit by a torch.

There were a few different rooms on either side. The contents of them were masked by sheets and curtains and things like that. It gave me the impression somebody was living there.

Up ahead was a doorway with the most light behind a sheet. We headed for it, we pulled the curtain aside…and I was frozen with an arrow aimed at my chest in point-blank range.

The kid holding the boy was _attractive_. He had shaggy blonde hair, brown eyes, tan skin and some fierce tattoos on his face. "Tell me who you are."

"Ranger!" A familiar voice shouted.

I looked for the source eagerly. It was the very fledgling we had come to see. "Anakin!"

He grinned at me and god, did I want to run my hands through his hair, kiss him and hold on to him. I missed him so much.

"Your hair!" I said my eyes wide in shock. His lustrous black shaggy hair had been dyed to a silvery white, making the dark blue outline of crescent on his forehead stand out above his shocking green eyes.

The kid lowered his bow in front of him. "Anakin, you know these people?"

"She's my girlfriend and these are her cousins."

"Anakin," I said going to where he was sitting on a rock. "What are you doing down here? I thought you were supposed to be at the House of Night."

He pulled me down onto his lap and said, "well, that's kind of a long story."

"Well, we've got time."


End file.
